Rolling scaffold



July 14, 1953 H, RECTOR 2,645,531

ROLLING SCAFFOLD Filed April 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M61507? ZRecz or for I 1 BY 46% ATTORNEY N. H. RECTOR ROLLING SCAFFOLD July 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1951 INVE Nelson H. Re 0 iatenteci 14,

ROLLING SCAFFOLD Nelson H. Rector, Atlanta, Ga. Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,333

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a rolling scaffold and more particularly to a rolling scaffold which can be selectively employed along a wall or the like.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a rolling scaffold device comprising a movable foot platform which may be moved horizontally along the side of a wall, with means to raise and lower the foot platform and with further means to prevent undesired horizontal movement of said platform.

I recognized that I am not the first to ever invent a platform which may be rolled along the side of a wall or the like. I am cognizant of such patents as the Gordnier Patent No. 884,813 issued April 14, 1908. However, myrolling scaffold device overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art devices and has a particular advantage in that it may be easily and safely raised and lowered while remaining steady and it may easily be rolled along the side of a wall and stopped in any desired position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in combination with upper and lower tracks secured to a vertical wall, a rolling scaffold device comprising, a movable foot platform adapted for horizontal movement along said wall, two lower pulleys one mounted on each end portion of said foot platform, two spaced apart upper travellers each provided with wheels and each adapted to roll along the upper tracks secured to said wall, two upper pulleys one A further object is to provide a rolling scaffold device comprising, a movable foot platform provided with a cable aperture at each end portion thereof, two lower pulley members one mounted on each end portion of said foot platform, two travellers each provided with wheels, two upper pulley members one mounted on the underside of each of said travellers, a cable for each pair of lower and upper pulleys to raise and lower said foot platform, and a steadying cable secured to the underside of each traveller and extending vertically through the cable aperture in said foot platform and being adapted tobe secured at its lower end to a movable anchoring element.

Another object is to provide a rolling scaffold associated with a trackway which extends around the Walls of a building, or the like, to permit the rolling scaffold to be conveniently moved around the corners of the building.

Generally speaking, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rolling scaffold device which may be employed in the repairing, painting or cleaning of the outside of a buildmg.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof and from the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation Showing the rolling scaffold device and embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing the snubber element secured to the foot platform and adapted to frictionally engage the surface of a wall as taken along line 33 of Figure 2, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the lower track assembly and is taken along the line 44 of Figure l, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail taken along the line 55 of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows, and showing a portion of the upper wheeled assembly; and

Figure 6 shows a modified form of a means for anchoring the platform steadying cables to the platform.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral Hi generally represents a scafiold device which is adapted to move horizontally along a Wall H. The rolling scaffold device I0 is adapted to be employed in washing windows I2 or doing other jobs which require a workman to be on the outside of wall I l and to move thereacross.

The rolling scaffold device It generally comprises a foot platform I3 which is provided at the outer end portions thereof with apertures l4 and 15. The platform [3 has secured thereto in any suitable manner, a guard rail lBa which is adapted to protect a workman while employed in doing jobs requiring the rolling scaffold.

On the outer end portion of the foot platform I3, I have provided a pulley member, generally indicated by the numeral i6, and comprising the usual pulleys El and connecting links l8 and I9 which links l9 are suitably secured to plates 25 which are secured to the top side of the platform [3.

On the opposite end of platform i3 there is provided a second pulley member which I have generally indicated by the numeral 2i which pulley member 2! generally comprises pulleys 22 and connecting links 23 and 2 3 with links 24 being secured to plates 25 which in turn are bolted to the upper side of the foot platform I3. This pulley arrangement is conventional and it is not thought necessary t describe it in any further detail.

In order to raise and lower the foot platform E3, or the scaffold generally, there are provided cables 25a and 28 which cooperate with lower pulley members It and 2!, with cable 25a engaging pulleys IT and cable 26 engaging pulleys 22. These cables operate in the usual conventional manner for raising or lowering a scaffold with a block and tackle arrangement.

There are provided upper pulley members 21 and 28 with pulley member 21 cooperating with pulley member it and pulley member 28 coopcrating with pulley member 2| so that the scaffold may be raised and lowered by suitable operating cables 25a, and 26. Upper pulley member 21 is suitably secured to the underside of a wheeled traveller which I have indicated generally by the numeral 29, through the connecting links 30 which are secured to the ring element 3| which in turn is secured to the underside of the body of the wheeled traveller 29. I

The wheeled traveller 29, as is better shown in Figure of the drawing, comprises a body portion ll secured to two U brackets which I have indicated by the numeral 32, which U brackets 32 are provided with stub axles such as 33 and 34, which are suitably journaled in the walls thereof with each stub axle being provided with an outer flange member 35 and 36 respectively, to keep the stub axles from becoming disengaged from the U bracket 32. On stub axle 33 there is provided a wheel Ell. On stub axle 36 there is provided a wheel 38. The wheels 31 and 38 ride along the lower half of an I beam 39 which is secured by means of nuts and bolts to the underside of a supporting bracket which is generally indicated by the numeral All, which supporting bracket is anchored in any convenient manner to the wall l i so as to support the wheeled assembly or wheeled traveller 29. The wheels 31 and 38 roll along the lower half of the I beam 39 as a trackway and because of the construction and dimensions of the U bracket 32 cannot become disengaged therefrom.

In Figure 5 of the drawing there is shown the various structural features of one part of the wheel traveller 29 showing how it is suitably anchored to the wall I I. It is to be understood that the other pair of wheels of the wheeled traveller which in turn is secured to the underside of the body of the wheel assembly 42.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, there are several spaced apart brackets 40 suitably secured to thewall ll of the building with the number thereof depending upon the length of the trackway which in turn is governed by the dimensions of the walls upon which the scaffold is employed.

In order to steady the scaffold ill in position when it is desired to Work on a wall, there are provided steadying cables o wire ropes. Seadying cable 59 is secured at the upper end to an element 5| which in turn is secured to the underside of the wheeled assembly 29.

At its lower end, steadying cableiiil is provided,

as more clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing,

29 are similar in structure and operation to the structure shown and described with reference to Figure 5.

There is also provided a second wheel assembly or traveller which has been generally indicated by the numeral 62. The wheel assembly 22 is similar in structure and operation to the wheel assembly 29 and the pulley member 28 is suitably secured to the wheel assembly 42 on the underside thereof by links 28a which are tied into an element 281) with an eye element 52. One end of a spring 53 is secured to an eye element 52 while the other end of the spring 53 is secured to a hook 54 which in turn is secured to a C bracket 55 provided with suitable apertures to support rotatable stub shafts 56 and 51 in the side walls thereof. On stub axle 56 there is provided a wheel 58. On stub axle 57 there is provided for rotation a wheel 59. Wheels 58 and 59 have the surfaces thereof engage the underside of the upper portion of an I beam 63 which is secured by nuts and bolts to a bracket which I have generally indi-- cated by the numeral 6|, which bracket Si is suitably anchored by means of bolts or the like to the wall 5 l. The spring 53' is tensioned to keep the wheels 58 and 59 hard against the underside of the upper portion of the I beam 6% so that the wheels 58 and 59 roll along the trackway.

There are a plurality of brackets Bl positioned at spaced apart points along the wall ii so as to suitably support the I beam 60 which runs along the wall it so as to provide a continuous lower trackway which cooperates with the continuous upper trackway so that the scaffold It! may easily roll horizontally along the wall H.

A second steadying cable 50a is provided for the opposite end of the foot platform l3, and is secured at its upper end to element Sla which in turn is fastened to the underside of traveller 42. The lower end of cable 530. is provided with an eye 5!!) which in turn is secured to spring 5lc. Spring 510 is connected to hook 51d which is fastened to a bracket such as 55, described before. The wheel assembly is the same in structure and operation as shown in Figure 4.

When it is desired to stop the scaffold i-l, I employ snubber elements. Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, I have shown two snubber elements each of which has been generally indicated by the numeral 15. Each snubber element 15 generally comprises a housing 76 which is suitably secured to the upper portion of the platform 53 by means of bolts ll. Within the housing it there is provided a slidable rod 78 which is adapted to move within the housing 16 by means of the operation of an upstanding trigger element l9 which extends upwardly from the housing or casing 16 through a suitable elongated slot formed in the upper wall of the housing to a sufiicient height so that it may be operated by the foot of the workman on the scaffold. As shown in Figure 3 of the drawing,

by engaging the foot against the upstanding trigger 19, the rod 18 may be slid into frictional engagement with the wall ll so as to stop the horizontal movement of scaffold H3. As pointed out, there are two snubber devices 15 which'are in spaced apart relation and which are each anchored to an outer end portion of the foot platform 13, it being understood that in some instances one or several snubber elements may be employed, which snubbers may be placed in any desired position on the platform l3.

Referring to Figure 6 of the drawing, there is shown a modified form of the invention with particular reference to the position of the steadying cables 59 and 56a. If desired, the cables 50 and 500. may be disposed on the ends of the foot platform [3 thereby eliminating the apertures l4 and I5 through which the steadying cables are disposed. For purposes of illustration, I have identified the modified form of the invention with the cable being indicated as 5927 and passing through a ring brace 500 which is suitably secured to the end of the platform 13 by means of bolts 59d. In the modified form of the invention, it is therefore apparent that it is not necessary to aperture the foot platform I3 and the steadying cables are positioned somewhat wider apart as they are disposed at the ends of the foot platform l3.

Various modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof and it is, therefore, desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with upper and lower tracks secured to a vertical wall, a rolling scaffold device comprising a movable foot platform adapted for horizontal movement along said wall, two lower pulley members on said platform, two upper travellers for rolling along the upper tracks, two upper pulley members on said travellers, a cable for each pair of lower and upper pulleys to raise and lower said platform, at least one snubber element on said platform and having a projectible part for frictionally engaging the Wall to prevent movement of the platform horizontally across the wall, and means for preventing movement of the platform at least in a horizontal plane away from the wall for holding the projectible part of the snubber element against the wall when the projectible part is projected and comprising a steadying cable associated with each of said travellers, each steadying cable having its upper end secured to its traveller, and engaging said platform, a resilient element on the lower end of each steadying cable, and a lower traveller associated with each steadying cable and captively engaged with said lower track for rolling movement thereover in a horizontal plane, each of said resilient elements being secured to its lower traveller, whereby each traveller is held in captive engagement with the lower track to provide a movable anchoring element for each steadying cable.

2. A rolling scaffold device comprising a foot platform adapted to be moved horizontally across a wall, means for moving said platform in a vertical plane, a snubber element on said platform and having a projectible part for frictionally engaging the wall to prevent movement of the platform horizontally across the wall, and means for preventing movement of said platform at least in a horizontal plane away from the wall so that the projectible part of said snubber element will be maintained at all times in frictional engagement with the wall when the projectible part is in its projected position, said preventing means comprisin a track secured to the wall and having a downwardly facing tread portion, a traveller having upwardly facing tread engaging portions engaging said tread portion, a steadying cable engaging said platform and a resilient element secured to said cable and to said traveller to hold the tread engaging portions of the traveller firmly against the tread portion of the track.

3. In combination with upper and lower tracks secured to a vertical wall, said lower track having under surfaces, a rolling scafiold device comprising a movable foot platform adapted for hori zontal movement along said wall, two lower pulley members one mounted on each end portion of said foot platform, two spaced apart upper travellers each provided with wheels and each adapted to roll along the upper track, two upper pulley members one mounted on the underside of each of said travellers, a cable for each pair of lower and upper pulleys to raise and lower said foot platform, two platform steadying wires engaging said platform and each having the upper end thereof secured to the underside of each of said upper travellers, two spaced apart lower travellers each provided with wheels, and cooperating means on each of said steadying wires and said lower travellers for maintaining said wheels of said lower travellers in rolling contact with the under surfaces of said lower track and for restraining said steadying wires against movement in all directions except horizontal movement along said wall.

4. A rolling scaffold device comprising a movable foot platform, two lower pulley members one mounted on each end portion of said foot platform, two upper travellers each provided with wheels, two upper pulley members one mounted on the underside of each of said upper travellers, a cable for each pair of lower and upper pulley members to raise and lower said foot platform, two snubber elements one mounted on each end portion of said foot platform, each of said snubber elements provided with a projectible portion adapted when projected to frictionally engage a wall to hold the foot platform against undesired horizontal movement, guiding means secured to the wall, and means for preventing movement of said platform at least in a horizontal plane away from the wall so that the projectible portions of said snubber elements will be maintained at all times in frictional engagement with the wall when the projectible portions are in their projected positions, said preventing means comprising platform steadying wires engaging said platform and having their upper ends attached to said upper travellers and lower travellers attached to the lower ends of said wires and engaging said guiding means.

NELSON H. RECTOR.

References Cited in the file bf this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 287,410 Bierbach Oct. 30, 1883 669,288 Short Mar. 5, 1901 715,590 Le Bret Dec. 9, 1902 860,149 Platt July 16, 1907 869,427 Dobbie et al Oct. 29, 1907 2,164,973 Webster July 4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 302,174 Italy Oct. 21, 1932 

